Wild Ride – Price of NatGas Crashes Day After it Spikes, Down 20%

Yesterday MDN brought you the news that the price of the NYMEX natural gas futures contract closed (on Wednesday) at a four-year high, up 18% (see Price of NatGas Spikes to Highest Level in 4 Years – $4.84/Mcf). We said this in our closing comments: “We maintain the jump in prices is due to psychology more than reality. If traders believe there’s about to be a shortage, they react. In a sense, they panic. And the cycle feeds itself. Until the prices come crashing back down in a few days or weeks.” It took exactly one day. Yesterday the same futures contract (the price of gas at the Henry Hub) closed down $0.80 to $4.04/Mcf–a 20% drop! The day before it went up 18%, next day, down 20%. Day before was the biggest one-day increase in 14 years, yesterday the biggest one-day decrease in 15 years. Help! Let us off this roller coaster!